Cargo system with restraint bar

Abstract

A cargo container having opposed horizontally elongated vertically extend side walls, a floor, and a roof, and pre-assembled panel constructions comprising vertically corrugated sheet metal walls surrounded at top, bottom and both ends with extruded edge caps. The ends of the top and bottom caps carry adjustable corner abutment bolts which are advanced into contact with corner posts present on the container and are welded in place. The corrugated walls of the panel are bolted to the walls of the container to provide a substantially unitary wall-panel combination. The panels are provided with a multiplicity of openings for receiving the ends of removable restraint bars.

What I claim as my invention is: 
     
       1. A cargo carrier having a floor, a top wall, opposed side walls, and vertical posts at the corners thereof, a pair of pre-assembled panels permanently secured to the side walls and connected to said posts, each of said panels comprising rigid top and bottom caps extending horizontally for the full length of each panel, and rigid end caps extending vertically at the ends of each panel, said caps being rigidly connected together at their ends to form a rigid rectangular frame, a panel skin of corrugated metal entirely covering the space between said caps, the corrugations of said skin extending vertically to define a multiplicity of vertical elongated channels and interposed ribs exposed at the inboard sides of the panel, a multiplicity of belt rails extending horizontally between said end caps and secured thereto in spaced apart relation at the inboard side of said panel, said rails having latch receiving openings in registration with said channels, and cargo restraint bars dimensioned to extend across the space between said panels and having latch means releasably received in opposed openings in said belt rails. 
     
     
       2. A cargo carrier as defined in claim 1 in which said belt rails are secured to a multiplicity of the ribs of the panel skin. 
     
     
       3. A cargo carrier as defined in claim 2 in which said belt rails are welded to the ribs of said skin exposed at the inboard side thereof. 
     
     
       4. A cargo carrier as defined in claim 2 comprising in addition a plurality of parallel horizontal vertically spaced tension strips secured to the outboard sides of each of said panels. 
     
     
       5. A cargo carrier as defined in claim 4 in which the ends of said tension strips are permanently secured to said end caps. 
     
     
       6. A cargo carrier as defined in claim 5 in which the tension strips are also permanently secured to the top surfaces of the ribs of the panel skin at the outboard sides thereof. 
     
     
       7. A cargo carrier as defined in claim 6 in which a tension strip is provided directly opposite to each belt rail. 
     
     
       8. A cargo carrier as defined in claim 1 in which said top and bottom caps are provided with latch receiving openings such as those provided in said belt rails. 
     
     
       9. A cargo carrier as defined in claim 1 in which said top and bottom caps have inwardly open channels in which the top and bottom ends of the end caps are secured. 
     
     
       10. A cargo carrier as defined in claim 9 in which the top and bottom edges of said panel skins are also secured within said channels. 
     
     
       11. A cargo carrier as defined in claim 1 in which the ends of said top and bottom caps have longitudinally outwardly facing threaded recesses, adjustable corner bolts in said recesses, said bolt being welded to said corner posts. 
     
     
       12. A cargo carrier as defined in claim 1, said end caps having a cross-sectional shape including a rear flat wall, and a plurality of forwardly extending, laterally spaced hollow ribs in which the spacing of said hollow ribs conforms to the spacing of the inwardly facing ribs of the corrugated panel skin. 
     
     
       13. A cargo carrier as defined in claim 12, said belt rails extending across the inner surface of said end caps and having latch-receiving openings in registration with the spaces between the hollow ribs thereof. 
     
     
       14. A cargo carrier as defined in claim 1 in which the latch means at the ends of each of said cargo restraint bars comprises an end portion of less height than the height of a latch-receiving opening and hook at the bottom of the bar engageable with the bottom edge of a latch-receiving opening of the panel, and a pivoted latch movable into such opening and engageable with the top edge of such opening to prevent lifting thereof to disengage the hook. 
     
     
       15. A cargo carrier as defined in claim 14 in which said pivoted latch has resilient means urging it toward the latch-receiving opening. 
     
     
       16. A cargo carrier as defined in claim 15 in which said latch has a laterally enlarged head remote from its pivot dimensioned to fit closely between the sides of a latch-receiving opening. 
     
     
       17. A panel for attachment to the side wall of a cargo carrier and dimensioned to substantially cover such wall, said panel comprising rigid top and bottom caps extending horizontally for the full length of each panel, and rigid end caps extending vertically at the ends of each panel, said caps being rigidly connected together at their ends to form a rigid rectangular frame, a panel skin of corrugated metal entirely covering the space between said caps, the corrugations of said skin extending vertically to define a multiplicity of vertical elongated channels and interposed ribs exposed at the inboard sides of the panel, a multiplicity of belt rails extending horizontally between said end caps and secured thereto in spaced apart relation at the inboard side of said panel, said rails having latch-receiving openings in registration with said channels. 
     
     
       18. A panel as defined in claim 17 in which said belt rails are secured to a multiplicity of the ribs of the panel skin. 
     
     
       19. A panel as defined in claim 18 in which said belt rails are welded to the ribs of said skin exposed at the inboard side thereof. 
     
     
       20. A panel as defined in claim 18 comprising in addition a plurality of parallel horizontal vertically spaced tension strips secured to the outboard sides of each of said panels. 
     
     
       21. A panel as defined in claim 20 in which the ends of said tension strips are permanently secured to said end caps. 
     
     
       22. A panel as defined in claim 21 in which the tension strips are also permanently secured to the top surfaces of the ribs of the panel skin at the outboard sides thereof. 
     
     
       23. A panel as defined in claim 17 in which said top and bottom caps are provided with latch-receiving openings such as those provided in said belt rails. 
     
     
       24. A panel as defined in claim 17 in which said top and bottom caps have inwardly open channels in which the top and bottom ends of the end caps are secured. 
     
     
       25. A panel as defined in claim 17 in which the ends of said top and bottom caps have longitudinally outwardly facing threaded recesses, adjustable corner bolts in said recesses, said bolts being welded to said corner posts. 
     
     
       26. A panel as defined in claim 17, said end caps having a cross-sectional shape including a rear flat wall, and a plurality of forwardly extending, laterally spaced hollow ribs in which the spacing of said hollow ribs conforms to the spacing of the inwardly facing ribs of the corrugated panel skin. 
     
     
       27. A panel as defined in claim 26, said belt rails extending across the inner surface of said end caps and having latch-receiving openings in registration with the spaces between the hollow ribs thereof.